The difference, by ear
Black metal is growled or screamed where Southern rock is sung cleanly, and much faster: 160 to 280 bpm against 90 to 140. To hear the difference, play Lynyrd Skynyrd next to Bathory. Southern rock comes from the rock side of the tree and black metal from the metal side, and Southern rock came first, by thirteen years.
In figures
Southern rock
Where it sits
Rock › Blues rock › Southern rock
In short
Blues rock with a Southern accent: two or three lead guitars, slide playing and songs as long as a Georgia highway.
How it sounds
- Two or three lead guitars playing harmony at once - the Allman Brothers signature.
- Slide guitar in open tuning with a Hammond organ underneath everything.
- Long songs that end in a jam, and lyrics about specific Southern places.
Key acts
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- The Allman Brothers Band
- ZZ Top
Start here
The pickThe Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East. The best live rock album there is.
Full page →Black metal
Where it sits
In short
Tremolo picking, blast beats, shrieked vocals and deliberately cold production. More an aesthetic than a technique - atmosphere matters more than clean sound.
How it sounds
- Tremolo picking on open fifth voicings, with vocals in the high register.
- Deliberately thin, cold production - the missing bass is an aesthetic choice, not an accident.
- Fast blast beats, drums often mixed back, atmosphere placed above technique.
Key acts
- Bathory
- Mayhem
- Darkthrone
- Emperor
Start here
The pickDarkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky. The production is intentional, not a flaw.
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